


A Great, Good Place

by happysarcasm



Series: Happy Place AU [1]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (soon), Alternate Timelines, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Dynamics, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Sleepy Bois Inc Angst, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Time Travel, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29396961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happysarcasm/pseuds/happysarcasm
Summary: Karl could always feel when a shift in time was coming on. He felt his perception of the world around him begin to warp, the people he was with taking on the look of people he’d encountered on a past trip.This time around was no different. He’d traveled to somewhere new and unfamiliar, unaware of who he’d meet. But his been surroundings don’t leave him full of wonder or anticipation. Instead it left a feeling of dread in his stomach and a bitter taste in his mouth.This world looks happy, clean and sanitized, free of war and conflict. But the masks of people he knew tell him a different narrative entirely, one he isn’t sure he wants to know.Although, Karl was never one to leave a story unfinished.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Clay | Dream & Karl Jacobs, Karl Jacobs & Everyone, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Series: Happy Place AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159511
Comments: 9
Kudos: 56





	1. On the Road To Hell

**Author's Note:**

> hello gamers today i bring you an au i’ve been brainrotting about for several weeks. me and some very epic ppl have been working on developing this au, and someone helped me actually name it!! so shoutout to that discord server, y’all know who you are >:]
> 
> anyway, enjoy this au!! **and yes i will be making several references to greek mythology, including but not limited to the hit broadway musical hadestown fuck you**

Karl could always feel when a shift in time was coming on. He felt his perception of the world around him begin to warp, the people he was with taking on the look of people he’d encountered on a past trip. At least the ability activated when he was alone or isolated in his library most of the time, the man seemingly being lost in his own home for a majority of his time in the present.

The ink from his calligraphy pen flowed down onto a fresh page in one of his diaries, distracting himself from the heavy rain outside. His mind wandered to his latest travel at the masquerade, nearly two weeks ago now. The absurdity of the mansion owner’s..muse? Made him worry. The vines that had nearly taken over every bit of land on the SMP looked eerily similar to Sir Billiam’s Egg he went on about during his last minutes alive in that timeline.

He still reeled over the possibility that he lost a life during that trip. Everybody he talked about it with said that losing a life had a certain _feeling_ to it, like you lost a part of yourself in truly dying. 

But Karl hadn’t felt that much different aside from the usual disorientation that came with time travel. Not in The Inbetween, not writing in his library, and certainly not anytime after. Did his death not count because of his misplacement in the timeline? Did it not register simply because he was out of place?

Almost all at once, his mind stopped processing the words being written on the page. The feathered tool fell from his hand as the limb started shaking. Looking around his quaint home proved to be a strain on his eyes. Each familiar decoration and object became abstract and blocky, every color was an eyesore. He heard the chair he had been sitting in crashed onto his carpeted floor as he stumbled for an ounce of stability.

His breathing felt sporadic, as if he couldn’t get enough oxygen. Where was he going? Would he be safe this time? How long would he spend in this pocket of time?

A book seemed to gravitate into his hold, the last remaining object that wasn’t distorted by the falling of the space around him. Karl’s eyes shut as he pressed his forehead against the leather-bound journal. He hoped wherever he wound up wouldn’t be too dreary this time around.

Just as sudden as the head spinning feeling came on, it seemed to drain out of him as he felt a new material press against his back and legs. Karl hesitatingly opened his eyes, looking around for a quick moment before registering where he’d ended up.

The blackstone stairway to the SMP’s Nether portal stood in front of him, cleaner than when he last checked. Tentatively standing, he pressed a free hand against what felt like...brick? 

Karl took a few steps back to get a better view of what he was laying against, and the walls of the Community House, looking untouched since the day they were established, faced him. Bushes and flowers covered the corners and windowsills, the building obviously larger than before.

Walking was nearly a monumental task, but he’d conceded to trailing a hand along the brick walls to ground himself in this world. He took in the somewhat familiar surroundings, noticing the much cleaner landscape and sparse builds. No blood colored vines were covering the wooden path, which also looked upkept. 

He took his hand off the wall, choosing instead to travel along the Prime Path. No holes, no spruce replacements, it looked almost.. _unrealistically_ clean. The Holy Land was still intact, along with Eret’s museum and tree farm. But trekking over hill proved to add to the eerie ambiance of the overtly clean land.

The usual chaos and leftover destruction on the small hillside was instead replaced with a smooth stone fountain surrounded with zinnia and tansy flowers. A lone tree stood at a cliffside, the absence of an old bench immediately noticeable. Lastly, a small entrance to what looked like a neat home sat carved into a mountain side, made out of the same material as the fountain. A humble farm with various crops sat in front and to the side, looking freshly harvested.

Karl’s apprehension was lifted a slight bit when seeing the light gray stone, knowing that at least one structure remained similar to his home timeline. Ambling over to the sign, a small smile graced his features as he prepared to greet the hotheaded boy.

The oak signs sat hanging above the double doors, another familiar element from his world. Except...the contents of these signs were..different. The signs read “Sleepy Boys Family Home”, a sign that Tommy was not the only inhabitant living in the small space.

Somebody inside opened the door before Karl got the chance to knock. A man, who he presumed to be the Philza of this timeline, stood before him. Karl hadn’t talked to Phil more than a few minutes, but the striking gray wings coupled with his unique outfit made it hard for him not to stand out. But..a key detail was added to the man’s features.

A white mask that looked to be made out of porcelain covered the entirety of his face. Two closed, downward pointing eyes and a relaxed smile detailed the accessory, the right eye and part of the mouth looking smudged. As if somebody tried to rub off the contents to no avail. The name “Philza” was written in bright green font across the bottom left.

“Oh— uh, hello?” The man’s voice pierced through his thoughts, bringing him back to attention. “Don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, mate. You might need to come inside.” Phil peaked his head outside the door, ushering Karl inside the mountain home. The door closed with a quiet click as Karl once again prepared for an onslaught of interrogation.

Another figure sat at the wooden table off to the side and another face mask lay discarded on the floor underneath the table. The person paid no mind to his sudden entrance, instead fidgeting with what looked to be a burnt out cigarette.

“Okay, first question—“ Phil once again interrupted his train of thought. “who are you? Second question, how did you get here? Third, did Dream send you, because if so then I don’t have Tommy with me, so you can fucking—“

“Phil. Please.” Another voice came from the wooden table, cutting off Phil’s interrogation. Their voice sounded strangely monotone, yet full of an emotion Karl couldn’t place.

The winged man turned his head to face the other, briefly hanging his head in what looked to be exasperation before once again turning to Karl. It was clear he expected answers.

“Uh, ok, so—“ Karl started. “my name is Karl, and uh, I haven’t really...been here before..?” He carefully phrased his words, in case he hadn’t accounted for a possible other version of him. In all likelihood, it was extremely possible there is or had been another version of him in this timeline. “And no, nobody sent me here. I’m..not where I’m supposed to be.”

Phil cocked his head as the man at the table let out a quiet, bitter-sounding laugh. “Ok, let it be known that the only reason I’m not kicking you out of my fuckin’ house right now is because of your lack of..” He gestured to the porcelain accessory covering his face. “.. _this_.”

The detail of not one, but at least **two** face masks being worn and used in this universe deeply disturbed Karl. He knew that the white, full cover mask was the main feature of Dream’s appearance, the blank smile seeping into the thoughts of anyone who looked too long.

But almost the exact same mask being worn by someone who almost never associated with the man in his own timeline? Karl’s worry nearly skyrocketed just thinking about it.

“If he needs one, he can take mine. I don’t fucking want it, anyway.” The man at the table finally acknowledged his presence, lifting his head to look at him before retrieving the item from the floor. 

“Wil, we’re not giving him your damn mask, you need that.” Karl internally blanched at the nickname. Wilbur was..living here. And by the sound of it, Tommy himself was nowhere to be seen, at least to them. Who else lived in this house?

As if the universe seemed to take his hint, a third person came out from the hallway, their own white mask in their hands. “Phil, who’s here?” Karl’s eyes widened slightly, matching that voice to a face immediately. What in the world was Technoblade living in this little family home with Philza and Wilbur of all people? 

Everybody knew about Techno and Phil’s friendship and tendency for violence-or anarchy, as they framed it-back home. But Karl never remembered any association he and Wilbur had besides the Manburg and Pogtopia war, and even then they were just fighting on the same side. What reason would they have to become allies, let alone live together?

“Oi! Karl!” Phil waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him back to reality. 

“Uh— sorry, I..didn’t register what you said.” Karl crossed his arms over his chest, eyes flickering between the three men. Wilbur and Techno didn’t wear their accessory, choosing instead to hold it in their hands. They wore looks of suspicion and confusion, and Karl couldn’t blame them. He stood out in the unfamiliar circumstances, even though he’d only encountered three people so far, Karl could tell they knew he didn’t belong.

Instead of Phil speaking up, he heard Wilbur sigh from the table. “Well, _Karl_ ,” He internally cringed at the sound of Wilbur’s strained voice. The hoarse and gravelly tone made it sound as if just talking pained him. “I’m assuming that somebody else knows or will know you’re here, so..you should probably get that out of the way before anything else.” The man grimaced, now fidgeting with the hem of his worn looking trench-coat. 

Karl saw Techno grimace from the corner of his eye and heard Phil mutter something under his breath. Without warning, two startlingly loud knocks sounded at the front door. Phil turned quickly to the other two, who were strapping on their porcelain masks in a slight panic. Karl briefly looked over the two designs.

Techno’s mask, unlike Phil’s, was colored a light pink similar to his hair. Two half-dots and a simplistic pig snout covered the middle of the white space, no cracks or signs of disrepair. With Wilbur’s mask, the previous design had been crossed out and covered with what looked to be black and blue dyes. In the very middle, a small, white smile had been made in the mess of color, looking untouched.

Phil quickly brushed past him, opening the door for whoever was there. 

“Philza!” Karl paled at the voice of the man at the door. He could pinpoint that tone of voice anywhere. “How’s it going, Sleepy Family?” The sing-song lilt in Dream’s voice carried into the house when he stepped inside. Karl could see another figure standing outside near the garden, able to make out the silhouette of an axe strapped to their back.

Wilbur was the first to speak to Dream, with Phil looking busy trying to calm himself before doing something irrational. “Dream.” He greeted the man. “What brings you here?” Karl could tell he was trying to keep out the slight tremor in his voice. 

The green clad man barked out a laugh that grated on Karl’s ears. “Oh well, y’know, just doing the weekly rounds. Checking up on everybody. The usual routine.” Dream turned his head to Karl, pinpoint eyes staring straight through him. “And...it seems you three have a..visitor?”

Karl cleared his throat before any of the others could speak. “Uh, hey! I— my name is Karl.” The way Dream nearly did a double take didn’t go unnoticed by the time traveler. “I’m not really supposed to be here, and this house was just close by, so…” His eyes darted around the room, trying desperately not to stare at the man in front of him.

“Oh, so you _are_ new! Thought I may have missed you for a moment during my check-ins.” Another laugh rose out of the man, softer this time. “Well, listen, why don’t you come with me for now and I can introduce you to the SMP? Maybe if some of my friends are in the house you can meet them too?” Dream motioned for Karl to wait outside, opening the front door for him to leave.

It was obvious to Karl that a refusal of his offer would do more harm than good. So, Karl took in a breath and wordlessly stepped into the chilly air, turning to face the person to his left.

“Uhm. Hello!” He tried for a friendly approach, preparing himself for silence or questioning. Instead, the shorter turned their face to look at Karl, and he only then did he get a full look at their mask.

Two black dots in the place of eyes, somewhat larger than Dream’s own. A wide, bracket shaped smile stretching across almost the whole width of the item. A crack leading down from the top left down to the left eye. 

Their physical features also stood out to him. A dark beanie, a blue and white varsity-type jacket, and athletic running pants. All too familiar scars on their hands and two smaller than average, yellow duck wings. 

The realization quickly set in, just as Quackity responded to him. 

“Oh, hey.” Hearing his fiancé’s voice sent a pang of...something ringing throughout his chest. The cracked mask he wore felt like a punch to the gut, sending his thoughts spiraling into the worst scenarios. His mind briefly wandered to where Sapnap could be, how he was holding up, how he could try and help them, even though he knew that they weren’t technically _his_ fiancés.

Karl cleared his throat to try and masque the growing tightness. “My uh— my name’s Karl.” He felt like he’d repeated the same sentence 100 times over by now. “I’m sorry if I’m uh..intruding on your check-ins, or whatever.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to find something to do with his hands.

“Oh, I don’t think it’ll be much of a problem. Dream’s usually the first one new people meet when they come here, actually. I’m surprised he didn’t see you sooner.” A small, barely audible laugh escaped the other man. “Your introduction should be finished up in less than an hour, then you’ll probably be free to just..do whatever.”

The time traveler smiled at Quackity, nearly forgetting that he was a stranger to the other. From what he’d picked up, the Karl of this timeline either wasn’t a citizen of the SMP, or just..didn’t exist. It hurt his brain to think about.

A brief conversation picked up between the two as if they were old friends seeing each other for the first time in years. It felt natural to Karl, talking to Quackity so casually. For a moment, the circumstances of his situation disappeared and the only thing that he focused on was his polite conversation with the other.

Muffled shouting from inside made both of them snap their gazes to the door, which nearly slammed open with Dream quickly exiting the quaint home. He could hear Wilbur yell something at the man and assumed Phil and Techno were the only things keeping him from lunging at Dream.

The taller shut the door with a loud bang, quickly stepping away. He brushed off fake dust from his dark green cloak clasped around his shoulders over his chestplate. “So sorry about the wait, they’re not the most...easy to talk to.” Dream sighed, readjusting his stark white mask and starting along down the path. Quackity immediately went back into his serious attitude, following Dream’s steps closely and keeping a hand along the handle of the glowing axe. Reluctantly following the two, Karl made uneasy steps down the oak path. 

The way back to the community house was silent, only broken by the front most man humming and idle tune. Karl thought it sounded distantly familiar, as if he’d known the particular melody all along. 

Water from the lake splashed up onto the wooden bridge idly, a few fish swimming by and through the coral. Hinges from the double oak doors didn’t make a sound when being opened, making for an easy entrance. 

The inside looked completely different from how it had back home. No crafting table floor, no chests scattered haphazardly around the floor and beds put anywhere they happened to be placed. Instead, the first floor looked designated to storage and organizing items. Each set of chests were labeled with a sign and/or a name. A lone enderchest sat in the corner.

Dream kept humming, walking over to one of the double chests with his name and getting something from inside. He pulled out a book and quill, striding back over to where Karl stood.

“Before we get to any actual introductions, you’re gonna have to put your name on the list here.” His finger pointed to a list of names and signatures. Karl looked back up incredulously at the taller. “Seems like you’re gonna be here for a short while, right? Might as well just put it down. I do this for everybody.” 

Quackity had started taking off the armor he’d worn out, unlike Dream, who kept the chest, legs, and boots of his armor firmly in place. Karl looked back down at the book, skimming over the names that had been written previously.

All of them were names of the people he knew- or knew _of_ , that was obvious. Niki, Ranboo, Quackity, even Schlatt. Each person had three hearts next to their name and signature, with various amounts of X’s put through them. Sapnap had none, Quackity had one put through the first heart. Karl’s breathing stuttered. He immediately made a mental note to not look at any other life counters, instead questioning how Dream knew the life count of everyone in the SMP.

What struck him next was the fact that his own name hadn’t been written anywhere. He flipped through page after page, expecting to see even a crossed out or erased name somewhere. There was no evidence of his existence here. 

Further questioning of the epiphany would have to wait, he decided. Without much more though, he wrote his own name and signed the document. Almost immediately after, three heart symbols appeared on the page next to his handwriting. The amount of questions going through Karl’s mind at that moment could’ve rivaled when he’d traveled back for the first time.

Dream took the book from him, seemingly putting the item in his inventory to store later. “Perfect, thank you. Now, follow me upstairs, let me show you your temporary room.” The smile on his face was practically audible as he motioned for Karl to follow. 

“You already have a room prepared?” Dream didn’t answer his question. Still stunned and slightly dazed from the day’s events, he wordlessly followed. 

The two arrived outside a small room on the second of four floors. An oak door stood between them as Dream rambled on about the various occupants of the household.

“..Punz is kind of standoff-ish, so you may wanna wait a couple days before actually talking to him. And if you ever need anything, ask George or Sapnap, they can get to you quicker than I could.” He finished with a laugh.

He opened the door for Karl as he stepped inside. Nothing too unusual stood out, a light gray bed sat in the corner, an enderchest was placed at the headboard, normal chests for storage, everything a normal room would have.

“I look forward to speaking with you again, Karl! Enjoy your stay!” Dream called as he walked away from the room’s entrance. “I’ll come get you tomorrow to introduce you to everybody.”

Karl nodded absentmindedly, staring down at the almost too perfectly made bed. Everything in this world just seemed so...sanitized. Cleanly. _Eerie_. 

It was nothing like back home, where scars made in the earth and on people showed the history of their land and the battles everyone had fought. Remains of nations and houses lay scattered across the unclean ground, evidence that people had lived and died there. Brilliant structures and meaningful homes were still present and breathed life into the world he knew.

This place was nothing like home. Untouched roads and bridges, the uniform masks that seemingly everybody wore, and the lack of any signs of struggle or wars or even creeper holes stood out. It was just so...unfamiliar. It felt uncanny, in a way, that something as chaotic as the Dream SMP and it’s people would go to such great lengths to keep their land so orderly.

As thoughts raced through his mind, Karl took a seat at the small desk that looked and felt made for him. He took out the book and quill he’d brought to this timeline and opened to the page he’d stopped on. It felt like hours had passed since he’d traveled, when in reality, it had most likely been barely one.

The writing tool pressed onto a fresh page as Karl began scribbling down his thoughts and notes. He needed some time to sort things out before tomorrow.


	2. A Sense of Community

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing yourself to strangers can be a tedious— and sometimes worrying —activity, especially if you can’t see what their thinking behind porcelain masks.
> 
> or; Karl meets the Community House Gang(tm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! this is more of a filler chapter to get (some) character intros out of the way so y’all wont be as confused later. there are definitely more characters to be met later, but for now i wanted to stick to the people living in the community house! 
> 
> chapter three will get started on the actual plot i promise 👍 anyway, hope you enjoy

Loud knocking at his door startled Karl awake, nearly falling from the chair he’d fallen asleep in. He stretched his arms above his head and mentally prepared himself for more confusing conversations and people.

More knocking and somebody calling his name got him out of the chair, almost tripping over himself to get the door. Dream was standing on the other side with something Karl hadn't seen before in hand.

“Good morning, Karl!” His tone was light with the words sounding..scripted, almost. “I see you slept well?” 

Karl huffed, leaning on the doorframe for a bit of support. “If you call passing out from exhaustion sleeping, then I guess so.” He rubbed at one of his eyes before returning his attention to Dream. 

A small, airy laugh escaped the other. “Well I hope you’re feeling alright, anyway. I got something for you though, just a little formality before you can see the others.” 

Dream presented him with a mask looking the same as everybody else’s. White, no markups or cracks, and it looked made to fit his face. The only difference however, was a magenta spiral in the middle, one that looked nearly identical to the one on his hoodie. Karl took the item from his hand, staring at it with contemplation.

“You can put it on, go ahead! I hope it fits well.” 

Despite his instincts saying that this was an _awful_ idea, he took the mask to his face and clasped it behind his head. To his surprise, he could see exactly the same as he had before, as if the mask wasn’t even there. “Uh..it feels fine to me.”

“Oh, that looks great!” Dream clasped his hands in front of him and took off down the hallway. “Follow me, Karl, they’re waiting downstairs.”

Karl hesitantly followed behind Dream, wondering how long he had slept for. He tried to regain his bearings before greeting the other occupants of the house.

“I only let my closest associates live here permanently, so you may wanna find or make a place to stay in...about a week’s time?” Dream looked over his shoulder, waiting for an answer.

He nodded in acknowledgment. “Yep, got it.” The other turned back to face the staircase and descended to the first floor of the house. Karl took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself before heading downstairs.

A group of people stood talking quietly amongst themselves when the two arrived at the bottom floor. Dream held up one hand, and the conversations almost immediately ceased. Karl couldn’t see their expressions, and knowing they couldn’t see his look of confusion brought a sense of relief. 

The strangeness of the situation had only begun to set in as he looked at the gathering of seven. He assumed they all lived in this house, judging by the way they had looked familiar with the surrounding area.

Dream cleared his throat before speaking. “So, I told you all yesterday that we had a new..occupant staying here for a little while.” He gestured with his hands while talking. The group looked strangely at attention, most of them practically hanging onto his every word. “I thought that I may as well introduce him to you right here, and you can talk to him later if you want. This is just for formality's sake.” 

A few faces turned to Karl as Dream finished talking as he realized that he was expected to speak next. He picked at the sleeve of his hoodie to do something with his idle hands.

“I— uhm hey! I’m uh, I’m Karl, but I think Dream might’ve told you my name already? Uh, I’m not supposed to be here for very long, just..took a little detour, I guess.” He rambled on before stopping himself. “I hope that I’m not too much of a distraction to your daily happenings.” 

A chorus of greetings came from the small crowd as Karl sighed in relief. He hadn’t messed up just yet, and at the very least he got to introductions before everything went to shit. 

“When are you supposed to be leaving?” A familiar voice came from the front of the group. He couldn’t quite place who it belonged to, but it was definitely someone he knew.

The other man thankfully spoke for him before he fucked up his response. “Oh— George, he just got here yesterday, I wouldn’t think he’d be leaving so soon.” His voice had an almost teasing lilt, as if he knew Karl was most likely stuck for the time being. 

Questions directed more at Dream than him were answered within minutes. Karl felt as if he was floating, like the people and landscape around him were part of a somewhat _too_ realistic dream. The feeling wasn’t that uncommon when in a different time, but his head still swam and his thoughts were still foggy. 

Dream eventually dismissed the group and left whoever remained in the common room of the house. Before he went on his way, Karl saw a boy follow the main group of three out the front door. The white and poppy red color of the worn hoodie prodded something at the back of his mind. A flash of vivid, deadly fireworks and the burning sting of smoke briefly filled his mind before a hand waving in front of his face grounded his thoughts.

He looked to the person who now stood in front of him. Almost immediately he recognized the centaur-like form and the mossy green and gold color scheme. Sam nearly stood at a foot taller than him, adding to the intimidation factor he already excelled in. His mask was easy enough to remember. A dark green face of a creeper was plastered onto the white of the accessory. 

Sam took a small step back when Karl registered he was trying to get his attention. “Hey, Karl was it?” He stuck a hand out between them. “I’m Sam, ‘s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, yeah it’s good to meet you as well..” Karl shook the man’s hand almost absentmindedly, noticing the more closed-off demeanor Sam had. He hadn’t known him too well in his own world, but the hybrid was known to be welcoming and friendly to mostly everyone he was acquainted with. But this Sam seemed different right away, his voice was monotone and almost..subdued? The more Karl learned about the alternate versions of his friends, the more bewildered he became.

The creeper let out a quiet laugh before continuing. “Ehh, sorry if Dream’s being cryptic or..” he made a vague gesture with his hand. “...like himself. He never really makes sense if you don’t know how he normally is.” 

Karl laughed nervously, briefly glancing at the two remaining people in the building. “Yeah, I get that. I have experience with ah...cryptic and unusual people.” The sentence made Sam tilt his head to the side. “I- I mean the lands outside this area can be. Strange.” It wasn’t _technically_ a lie, he had been outside these lands before. Just..not in this timeline.

A thoughtful hum sounded from the taller. “That’s understandable.” Buzzing was heard from the other’s communicator. Sam pulled out the device from his inventory, quickly looking over the message. “Seems I’m needed for a bit.” He muttered, sighing with resignation. “It was nice meeting you, briefly.” The creeper waved to him and the other remaining people before heading to the door leading to the portal. 

The door shut with a click, leaving him and the two others in silence. Karl mindlessly played with his hoodie strings, trying to think of something to fill the deafening quiet.

He shortly resigned himself to leaving the room, taking a few subtle steps toward the door to his right. “Uh. I can go if you two need to do something, I’ll find something to explore or—“ 

The one in purple stepped towards him with his hand out. Karl immediately froze, staring directly at the two bright purple dots on the mask. 

“What are you doing here?” Was the simple question the young-sounding boy asked. Karl sputtered, not expecting the other to be so blunt.

“I— huh?”

“What are you doing here?”

The phrase sounded less like a question and more as a demand. How could a boy clad in only a purple hoodie and ripped jeans be so threatening?

The brunette took another moment to think of an answer. What was he doing here? If he had a purpose in this timeline, he sure as hell didn’t follow what the universe was telling him.

“Well I..just wandering, y’know? I mean it wasn’t like I meant to come here, this place just kinda. Stood out?” His tone sounded doubtful, even to him. Again, his explanation technically wasn’t a lie.

Tilting his head, the boy in purple seemed to analyze him. The shining sword on his belt only added to the intimation factor, making a Karl instinctively shrink back the smallest bit.

“..Hm. Well whatever your business here is, don’t try and interfere with _our_ business, you got that? I’m not above hurting somebody if it means getting paid.”

He motioned to the hilt of the weapon almost like a threat. Karl nodded, immediately making a mental note to steer clear of...whoever this was meant to be from his original timeline.

“Good. Then we won’t have a problem.” The boy quickly strode out of the house, with the fox— who he presumed to be this world’s Fundy —in tow. 

Karl borderline sprinted out of the nearest door, running along a path he didn’t recognize simply to get _away_. The bombardment of questions and introductions had his head pounding with what he just **knew** would be a mind numbing headache later. He hadn’t even realized the land he made his way onto, the strange group of houses being completely unfamiliar to him.

It looked like a central neighborhood for people in the SMP. Aside from the three he’d briefly met earlier and those residing in the Community House, it looked like just about everyone lived in this one centralized area. He was sure there were a few scattered homes here and there around the land, but the number of homes looked to be for nearly everyone in the SMP.

Sitting down on a spruce bench, Karl took off his mask and rubbed at his temples. If introducing himself had been that hard on him already, maybe he should consider sticking by himself for the most part.

But internally, Karl knew that wasn’t possible. He wouldn’t be able to go home until this story was considered “finished” by whatever powers that be. He sighed, leaning back against the old wood.

Whatever this place’s deal was, he would find it and fix it. That was always his job. He needed to finish this story, for himself and the people of this universe he was stuck in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie that sure was fun! hope karl takes purpled’s threat seriously ahahaha

**Author's Note:**

> AAAA im so happy to be actually doing this au, i hope y’all like it!! i rlly wanna continue this and might make some one-shots expanding on the timeline/universe ig? idk how to explain it jfjcjsdod
> 
> also! *clears throat*
> 
> according to ao3 statistics, only a small percentage of readers actually leave a comment, so if you enjoyed, consider leaving one! it’s free, and you can always delete it later. :]
> 
> anyway, *gets you*


End file.
